readers

Friday, July 10, 2009

10b. Flying Bison Rusty Chain

Since I was going to be out of town for our daily beer, I had to go it alone. And since I was going to be back in my old stomping grounds of Buffalo, NY, I knew right where I wanted to head: theEssex Street Pub. Many a long night I whiled away at the Essex, playing pool, listening to their eclectic but well-stocked jukebox, and having random conversations with the always odd collection of clientele that assembled like clockwork. Who doesn’t remember that crazy-ass old painter dude who would flip out at the drop of a hat and curse you up and down like his life depended upon heaping vile invectives upon your head? Twenty minutes later, he was buying you a beer.

Anyway, I digress. I rolled into Buffalo, and straight-off headed to the Essex. And what I found was Buffalo’s own Flying Bison Rusty Chain on tap. Consider me served.

So I’ll be honest—I didn’t take the best notes on this beer. As the random dude and now current outsider sitting at the bartop with a bunch of people who have no clue who I am, I didn’t feel like attempting to explain why I was both drinking alone and taking notes—something about giving off the creepy vibe of one who should instead be writing a manifesto somewhere in a secluded cabin in the woods. So consider this my best recollection. Rusty Chain had a dull copper color, clear, with a head that laced the glass nicely (see photo). While the initial taste was a bit malty for my palate, Rusty Chain had a solid body and nice finish. The hop profile reminded me more of an American Brown than an Amber, possibly from the malty front, but as I write this, I’m not even sure I know what the hell that means—at least not in a manner that I could tangibly explain to anyone. But clean, crisp, and enjoyable. I was slightly perturbed that the people I was in town to see called me at that point, because that meant I didn’t get another one. At least not right then.

From the Flying Bison website: “Rusty Chain is a beer FBBC is making in collaboration with Green Options Buffalo, Buffalo Rising, and Buffalo Microparks, based on Tim's Vienna Lager many of you have enjoyed in past years, to raise resources for bicycle parking throughout Buffalo. Rusty Chain will quickly become the beer of choice for cyclists and beer aficionados alike, and has been receiving rave reviews. More information can be found at thier website: http://www.rustychainbeer.com/”

So, if you want to support bicycling, local business (i.e. Flying Bison), and transportation that's environmentally sustainable and community friendly in Buffalo, pick up your very own Rusty Chain T-shirt at the Rusty Chain Beer website: "show your support for beer drinking… or… bicycling in Buffalo! The original Rusty Chain design is printed in black and sparkling rust ink on unbleached white, 100% cotton...They are available in small, medium, large, X-large and XX-large for $15 each (postage included). For ordering info, contact Green Options Buffalo: (716) 851-4052 or info@greenoptionsbuffalo.org"